HP 550

Introduction

This is a compatibility guide to running Linux with the HP 550 laptop.

This guide is intended to provide you details on how well this laptop works with Linux and which modules you need to configure. For details on how to actually install and configure the required modules have a look at our guides section for distribution specific instructions.

This page is just for discussing using Linux on the HP 550. For a general discussion about this laptop you can visit the HP 550 page on LapWik.

I can't get webcam to work in Skype but works fine in Cheese.Done some reading but none helped.Camera: Microsoft LifeCam CinemaSkype test just give black square.

Any help would be appreciated.

AdSR, 2011/10/12 13:52

I don't experience flickering but my external monitor, which works perfectly with other computers, shifts strongly towards red.

At default gamma the screen is a bit too washed out for my liking so I have “xgamma -rgamma 0.9 -ggamma 0.9 -bgamma 0.85” automatically on login.

Otherwise this laptop works pretty much flawless with Linux (Ubuntu 10.04 LTS). I dare say it was more plug and play with Ubuntu than with the preinstalled Vista :)

ubu, 2010/07/14 19:02

64-bit Ubuntu 10.04 works great with 2GHz Celeron version. Vista had fan noise problem (which fixed with DSDT config) but ubuntu works perfectly. Using 2.6.34 kernel.

Jairo Garcia, 2010/07/21 16:44

my installation 64 bits ubuntu 10.04 is running sucessfully, aditionally in this machiche have an virtual installation of windows 7, and the performance is fine. anybody have information about tunning in i/o in laptop?

ubu, 2010/09/23 08:55

Works very fine with 2.6.32-25 kernel. At first had to use newer 2.6.34 because some performance issues but now everything works perfectly.

pee_bee, 2010/02/06 22:44

Works great with Puppy Linux 4.3.1 K2.6.30.5 - only problem is that I've been unable to get the modem to work.

Much much quicker than installed Vista.

HP 550 on Linux Mint, 2009/10/20 08:51

I am having some problems with Linux mint… the installation goes OK, I have dual boot with vista. when I start linux, it loads OK but touch-pad and keyboard do not work. any help is welcomed….

james, 2009/09/15 07:41

This laptop works flawlessly with OpenSolaris11.

Balage, 2009/08/29 09:28

I have this notebook for a while running Fedora 11. Most of the things works great except for occasionally system freeze on lid close AND annoying graphic artefacts :(

Nour, 2009/05/11 08:40

i need to know how to power save my laptop , the problem is that when i plug in the monitor becomes relatively dark , but when i'm running on batteries the monitor goes brighter…. i hope u understand…thx

Matias, 2009/03/23 13:29

Ubuntu 8.10 works great except the audio. I've notices that windows xp driver plays much better the song (i'd to try that cos i wasn't agreeing with the audio card performance (in ubuntu) and i had to state that using windows to see if it was a driver problem. And it was. Any solution?

Thanks, regards.

Yusuf, 2009/03/22 01:34

How to install freedos software in hp laptop when i switch on it

Ramesh, 2009/03/20 09:14

where do i get the linux drivers for HP Laptop 550 series

James Wilson, 2009/02/28 21:54

This notebook works flawlessly with Debian Linux 5.0 (Lenny). Excellent! Full support out of the box for compiz-fusion, full IntelWireless function-ality too. I have the Intel 4965AG, listed as (Kedron) model and the Intel82562GT wired ethernet adapter.Note: Initial install I opted to install only the kernel modules thatthe installer found relevant to this hardware. This left me with no workingwifi. I had to do a manual install of the intel wifi drivers to get thingsgoing. So, on reinstall, specifying to install ALL kernel modules, every-thing worked. Not sure about bluetooth or vga-out as of yet. Sound: Alsa worksflawlessly! Not sure on any others.

sandu, 2009/05/15 10:46

Can you get me some links to useful tutorials or something regarding the manual install of wifi drivers on lenny. I have tried a lot of things, but nothing worked. Thank you

loeboe, 2009/02/17 18:09

This laptop works quite surprisingly out of the box with (K)Ubuntu 8.10 All goes automatically installed. Wireless works great. SD-reader also. Surely this is a recommended Linux laptop!

Demetrio , 2009/02/04 08:15

hiI want know the HP with 320 hard drive and 4 G RAM..what it cost??

soon

shadia, 2008/12/28 04:44

how do you make blue tooth work on 550 ph laptop. on the menu it has a bluetooth thing and when i click on it, it says it cant find any devices but mu phone was next to it and the bluetooth on my phone was on. its soo anoying.

please help

thanks

kerrie mck, 2009/01/28 19:45

hi shaidia i have the same problem with my laplop too if you found out how get the blue tooth working would you please let me know as i am having troble, thanks

patrick, 2009/03/12 14:26

HI have you found out how to get the bluetooth working yet i am akso having problems

raissi, 2009/04/04 23:47

Hi,I am probably answering too late,To make bluetooth work, you must download its driver from the web site of hp, then it will work

Lator, 2008/12/18 12:46

Made a typo… I'm using ubuntu 8.04.1.

Lator, 2008/12/18 12:44

The type I bought is the FU410EA. Except for the broadcom wifi, it works with ubuntu 4.01 out of the box. The wifi can easily be set up by downloading and installing the b43-fwcutter (hope i made no spelling mistake) package. Also, there seems to be a minor (but quite irritating) issue with the lid hardware. It seems, that if you close the lid in some not appropriate manner (dunno what is considered not appropriate…) then the OS freezes, and you have to force a shutdown with the power button and reboot the whole system. I don't know if this is a problem with the hardware or the os. Since i only istalled ubuntu because my fedora DVD was scrached, i will test it with fedora once i have a suitable installer. I'll keep you updated with fedora and dreamlinux as soon as possible.

Barbolanero, 2008/12/03 13:27

My wireless card doesn't work at all on Ubuntu 8.10, at least not out of the box. Right now I'm trying to make it detect it but it's not an easy job. Not for my at least. Everything else works just fine.

Charlie, 2008/11/11 22:55

HP 550 with OpenSuse 11.0 part 2 … use Ubuntu 8.10 instead, it works great

Unfortunately I spoke too soon and this laptop has some issues with OpenSuse 11.0which are actually entirely distribution specific e.g. power management simply does not work properly , unable to suspend to RAM or hibernate or whatever it is called , only suspend to disk works , however the whole pm is broken on OpenSuse 11.0 as it also locks/freezes the machine when e.g. lid is closed and nothing will get it back except removing the power source (battery/charger). Don't use OpenSuse with this laptop unless you're ready and willing to sort their (OpenSuse distribution) broken power management system and a lot of buggy software. Use Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid instead , everything just works(not tested VGA out and modem) out of the box , wireless/ wired network , power mangement works better than in MS, it suspends,hibernates, powersaves, the whole thing is just perfect. I can repeat enough everything works! After being with SuSE since version 6.3 its a kind of disappointment to see such a great distribution loosing a plot with such trivial issues. The Ubuntu rules supreme here, ” IT JUST WORKS” and no headaches.Here are the specs of this particular machine:Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T5470 (1.6 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2 cache) , 1GB DDR2 RAM, Intel wired and wireles adapters (haven't tested the modem), Intel graphics Mobile Intel® GME965 Express, DVD+/-RW SuperMulti with Double Layer e.tc.

Charlie, 2008/11/10 02:38

HP 550 with OpenSuSE 11.0

This notebook works out of the box with Linux extremely well, the only problem is the usual “suspend to RAM” not working as yet , rest of the power management works reasonably well , everything else works brilliantly , WIFI and Ethernet,SD card slot , haven't tested VGA out yet ( no suitable monitor) very good cheap laptop so don't expect miracles however for the money its better than any netbook out there. Testing continues however as I only have this laptop for 2 days but so far it has exceeded my expectations. Tested it with Ububtu 8.10 live cd and it too works well.

commenter, 2009/02/21 15:20

Also noticed one downside, worth mentioning. The power connector is next to the VGA connector, so trying to use an external display while on AC power is not recommended, because the display will flicker and jump around… I have a SyncMaster 940N and the picture doesn't look to healthy wile on AC. Note, that on battery, it's crystal clear.Cheers!

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